Change: New World

Hand to Toilet Combat

I half sprinted across the empty hallway, making a beeline to the restroom.

Contrary to my haste, I really didn’t need to use the bathroom, it was just… I needed an escape. Back there, that was a seriously embarrassing moment, and I wouldn’t doubt I made it even worse by running way.

I sighed dejectedly as I turned the next corner.

Shortly after, I arrived at the nearest restroom, a place located on the western edge of the third floor of the older section of the school building. It was a rarely used restroom, and more so now during class, when the majority of the students were all stuck in their respective classrooms, all anticipating the last remaining minutes of the school year.

Honestly, I considered myself to be a lot more excited than many other people. While most had plans revolving their social lives, hanging out with friends or family, maybe going on a trip... I made the quick decision, all the way back in winter, that I would spend the whole summer alone, away from people. Unlike the others, who could all meet and hang out with each other all year long, I really only had this one break to spend my time in absolute isolation.

To me, this time was more precious than anything else.

If something were to happen before I could enjoy my time in solitude, well, let’s just hope that doesn’t happen.

I thought such useless things as I quickly entered the restroom.

The place was empty, void of any life save for my own.

I shifted my gaze from left to right, briefly noting the two stalls with their doors closed and the row of urinals that stood beside them along the wall.

Opposite of them, was a row of sinks situated across the tiled room.

I moved over to the farthest urinal from the doorway and took care of what I needed to do in a rather slow manner.

I wasn’t really rushing, rather, I wanted to postpone my return to class as long as possible.

After I finished, I walked across the room and leisurely looked at myself in one of the bathroom mirrors.

I made a brief attempt to fix my messy, black hair, creasing it this way, or that, in a vain attempt to make myself look somewhat presentable. Eventually, I gave up with a loud and frustrated sigh.

I lamented over my rather disheveled hair, and at the dark circles around my eyes, which indicated my lack of sleep. I gave off a rather glum and tired atmosphere, which I didn’t really think was all bad, but probably wasn’t any good either.

[Well, at least, I’m not completely pathetic looking]

I commented inwardly in a half self deprecating tone.

I took martial arts as a kid, and while I’ve forgotten most of everything, I did still retain some of the movements that years of training ingrained in me. With some prior, almost all faded remnants of knowledge, I also retain a good, well, somewhat decent physique.

I wasn’t overly muscular, just, I wasn’t fat or skinny either.

I guess the best word to describe it would be… normal?

Breaking my stare, which had quickly grown into a glare, with the mirror, I washed my hands rather half heartedly and began to make my way out of the room. I was in a much better mood than before, the embarrassment from prior almost all gone now, when an unexpected flushing noise reverberated within the room.

I flinched, rising a good centimeter or two above the air, before I slowly turned towards the noise.

The restroom was deathly quiet, showing no indication that the noise from before even existed. Yet, despite that, I couldn’t help but shiver as a sense of uneases slowly settled within me.

Maybe it was the fact that I was currently alone right now, or maybe it was the fact that I had such an overactive imagination, who knows. But right now, I felt...scared.

I gulped. Before I noticed, the room had developed quite an ominous atmosphere as I briefly noted that there was nobody in here besides myself.

I squatted down, hoping to see a pair of feet from within the stalls, unfortunately, like I said earlier, there was nobody in here besides myself.

“M-maybe that was just my imagination.” I tried reasoning with my imaginative mind.

Struggling with my growing fear and with my innate human curiosity, I stood on the same spot rather rigidly, conflicted as to whether I should go and investigate the stalls or run like hell out of the restroom.

I contemplated such things when I heard a second wet squelching sound plop onto the tiled floor.

[O-okay… now I definitely know I wasn’t hearing things…]

The fear winning out, I slowly shuffled to the back of the restroom, maximizing as much distance as possible between me and the stalls.

Unfortunately, this particular restroom was rather small in size, so I’m afraid there wasn’t much of a place to run to.

Squelch Squelch

The spine tingling noise continued, and before long, I could make out what looked to be feet on the tile floors. Unfortunately, these weren’t the mind relieving pair of sneakers common in most teenage males. There were a few things that were a bit unusual about this particular pair of feet; they weren’t here before, they were very small, and they were green.

The annoying noise continued before another flushing sound rang out from the same stall. Shortly after, the door squeaked open.